March 18, 2011
‘Why Catholic’ in Spanish attracts 60 participants
Brian Ibarra enjoys some of the food available at one of the Why Catholic sessions in Spanish. Also in the photo are Yesennia lara and Angel Barco. The sessions attracted a total of about 60 participants at Washington, Dale and Huntingburg. Click for a larger version.
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
The Spanish sessions of “Why Catholic” attracted some 60 participants in recent weeks, according to Kande Batz at the Guadalupe Center in Huntingburg.
Sessions were held in Washington, Dale and Huntingburg.
“The workshops went very well,” according to Alma Garcia, the Why Catholic Enrichment Leader for the Spanish speaking. “I had 18 people in Washington and 23 in Dale. At the beginning of the workshop we had a procession and we all prayed the rosary as part of the theme of the day — “Popular religiosity or Popular Catholics among Hispanics in the USA.”
Garcia said the evaluations were positive and the sessions also allowed some people to share their concerns about their legal status and their experiences with the police department.
Why Catholic is a program of the diocesan Office of Catechesis, coordinated with RENEW International. The program in 2011 is in its fourth and final year. It was begun under the former director, Benedictine Sister Geraldine Hedinger, and is continued by the interim director, Donna Gish.
In addition to the Spanish sessions, Why Catholic was made available to all the parishes of the diocese, and was also established at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle.